Sill construction



Dec. 23, 1930. w. MARSHALL 4 1,786,072

SILL CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE WILLIAM MARSHALL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BRIGGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN SILL CONSTRUCTION Application filed November 10, 1924. Serial No. 749,018.

This invention relates generally to vehicle bodies and refers more particularly to the sills thereof.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide sills of this type that are preferably fashioned in such a way that they form the bottom of a vehicle body when the latter is assembled.

Another object is to expedite the assembly of vehicle bodies by providing sills that are preferably formed of metal which may be easily and quickly secured such as by a welding operation, to the other parts of the vehicle body, upon a suitable conveyor system.

A further object is to provide a sill that is simple in construction and can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a vehicle body embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the bottom thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line H of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of construction.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate corre sponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 designates a vehicle body, preferably of the closed type, having a bottom 2 that is preferably formed of two sill members 3 and 4 respectively. As shown, these sills are preferably longitudinally curved at their outer edges to conform to the longitudinal curvature of the body and are provided at their rear ends with lateral portions 5 that extend inwardly toward each other and are preferably permanently secured in overlap ping relation at their inner edges, preferably by a welding operation.

To accommodate the usual leaf springs (not shown) of the chassis upon which the body is mounted, the lateral portions 5 of the sills are preferably cut away at their inner ed es as shown at 6 to receive suitable housings that project above the lateral portions 5 a sufficient distance to provide the proper clearance above the springs. These housings 7 are preferably formed of sheet metal and have lateral flanges 8 at the lower edges thereof secured to the lower faces of the lateral por= tions 5, preferably by a welding operation.

To facilitate the attachment of the body fenders 9 the sills are preferably drawn to form transversely extending depressions or channels 10 that are preferably in alignment with the spring iousings 7. These depressions 10 preferably extend inwardly from the outer edges of the sills and terminate in flared portions 11 that connect into the outer edges of the openings 6. For attaching the fenders 9, I preferably provide two brackets 12 that have the base portions 13 thereof se cured rigidly to the sills and have upstanding flanges 14 at the outer ends thereof secured rigidly to the fenders 9. As shown, the base portions 13 of the brackets preferably conform in shape to the transverse curvature of the depressions 10 and are preferably riveted to the side walls of said depressions, while the upstanding flanges 14 project slightly above the sills and are preferably bolted to the fenders to permit ready replacements of the latter. The base portions 13 of the brackets 12 of the depressed portions 10 are also preferably provided with aligned openings 15 for receiving the heavy bolts (not shown) that are used to secure the body to a suitable chassis (not shown).

As shown in Figure 4, the narrow portions 16 of the sills in advance of the lateral portions 5 are preferably channel shaped in cross section and are provided at their inner edges with longitudinally extending depressed por tions 17 for receiving suitable floor boards (not shown). In order that suit-able toe boards (not shown) may be readily attached to the sills, the depressed portions 17 are preferably provided at their forward ends vith upwardly inclined portions 18.

To strengthen the sills, 1 preferably provide two channel shaped cross bars 19 and 20 nespectively that preferably extend across both sills and are rigidly secured thereto. The cross member 19 is preferably located immediately in rear of the transversely extendportions 21 of the inner flanges 22 of the sills and is preferably provided at its upper edges with horizontal laterally extending flanges 23 that are preferably welded to the lower faces of the sills including the lateral portions 5, and are provided at their opposite ends with vertical laterally extendingflanges 24 that are preferably welded to the outer depending flanges 25 of the sills. The cross member 20 is preferably inverted and extends across both sill members at the rear ends of the depressed portions 17. The web 20 of the cross member 20 is preferably welded to the flat portions 16 of the sills and is preferably provided its lower edges with horizontal laterally extending stiffening flanges 26 and 27 respectively. To reinforce and strengthen the construction further, the

depressed portions 17 are preferably provided at their rear ends with depending flanges 28 that are welded to the front face of the cross member 20, while the depending flanges 22 at the inner edges of the sills are preferably {)IOiltlfitl with inwardly extending vertical flanges 29 that extend at right angles to the flanges 22 and are welded to the rear sides of the cross member 20. The depending flanges 22 at the inner edges of the depressed portions 17 are also reinforced and stiffened by means of lateral flanges 30 that project inwardly from the lower edges of the flanges 22 between the cross member 20 and the forward ends of the sills and are welded at their rear ends to the lateral flanges 27 at the forward edge of the inverted cross member 20. It will also be noted that vertical flanges 2G and 27 project laterally from the side walls of the channel cross bar 20 and are welded to the depending flange 25.

In order that thebody panels 31 m y be readily secured to the sills 2, the depending flanges 25 at the outer edges of the sills are preferably provided at their lower edges with transversely curved laterally extending flanges 33 that preferably overlap and are welded to correspondingly curved lateral flanges 32 at the lower edges of the body panels 31. As shown in Figure 2, the outer depending flanges 25 and the transversely curved lateral flanges 33 continue along the rear edges of both sills to facilitate attachment of the rear panels of the body but are interrupted at the depressions 10 so that the lateral flange 32 of the body may be welded to the lower face of the depressed portion 10. The body panel is secured further at this point by means of the bolts 34 that attach the fender 9 to the bracket 1 and, as shown in Figure 1, this panel 31 preferably extends between the fender 9 and the upstanding flange ll of the bracket 12. Thus, with this construction, the overlapping flanges and 32' respectively of the sills and panels may be conveniently welded together by means of a suitable tool (not shown) while these parts move along on a suitable conveyor system designated generally by the numeral As a result, considerable time, labor and expense is saved as compared with the present practice of assembling the sills and panels of a vehicle body.

In Figures 6 and 7 I have shown a slight modification in which the sills 10 are preferably reinforced by wood beams ll and wood cross 42. As shown, the beams ll preferably extend longitudinally of the sills and are curved longitudinally at their outer edges to conform to the curvature of the outer depending flanges The beams 41 preferably project in rear of the rear cross bar 44 and in advance of the depressed portions 45 and are preferably secured. to the depending flanges 43 and 46 respectively of the sills by means of suitable nails 47. Thus, these wood beams materially reinforce the sills and afford suilicient backing therefor to permit the proper anchorage of suitable pillar braces 48 and 49 respectively. The cross bars 42 preferably extend longitudinally of the channel shaped cross bars 44- and 49 respectively and enga e suitable transverse recesses 50 in the wood beams 41. Any suitable means such as the nails 52 may be used to secure the wood cross bars 42 to the sides of the channel shaped cross bars 44: and 49 respectively.

lVhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle body, a pair of sill members having aligned openings at the inner edges thereof and spring housings located in said openings and projecting above said sill members.

2. In a vehicle body, a sheet metal sill member havin a depressed portion, a bracket having a portion fitting said depressed portion and having a flange at one end, and a fender secured to said flange.

In a vehicle body, the combination with abody panel, of a sheet metal sill member,

a bracket secured to said sill member having an upstanding flange located upon one side of said body panel, a fender having a portion located upon the opposite side of the panel, and means securing said panel, fender and bracket together.

4. In a vehicle body, the combination with a sheet metal sill having a depending flange, and a depressed portion for receiving floor boards, of a reinforcing cross bar having flanges secured to the flange aforesaid, a stiffening flange at one edge of said cross bar, and a stiffening flange projecting from the depressed portion of the sill member secured to the stiffening flange of said cross bar.

5. In a vehicle body, a pair of sheet metal sill members having overlapping lateral portions provided with transversely aligned meeting openings, and a spring housing located in the meeting openings and secured to and projecting above said sill members.

6. In a vehicle body, a sill member having a transversely extending opening for receiving an end of a spring housing and provided at the outer end of the opening with a depressed portion, and a fender attaching bracket secured to said depressed portion.

7 A vehicle body having a pair of spaced sill members provided with overlapping longitudinally extending lateral portions and provided in advance of said lateral portions with depressed portions for receiving floor boards, and reinforcing connections between said sill members including spaced bars extending across said sill members, one of said bars being secured to the lateral portions aforesaid, and connections between the other of said bars and said depressed portions.

8. A vehicle body having spaced sill members comprising metal stampings provided at their rear ends with inwardly projecting longitudinally extending lateral portions rigidly secured together forming a continuous bottom from one side of the body to the other, said continuous bottom terminating at the forward end thereof in spaced forwardly projecting portions having depressed portions for receiving the floor boards formed in the inner sides thereof adjacent the forward ends of the same, a substantially channel-shaped cross brace extending between said projecting portions at the rear ends of said depressed portions, and connections between said depressed portions and cross brace including flanges depending from the depressed portions and rear ends thereof and secured to said cross brace.

9. A vehicle body having spaced sill members provided with oppositely arranged depressed portions adjacent the forward ends thereof for receiving floor boards, each of said sill members having spaced inner and outer depending flanges, and a substantially channel-shaped cross member extending through the inner flanges of said sill members and having flanges secured to the said outer flanges, said inner flanges having inwardly bent portions secured to one side wall of said channel-shaped cross member and said depressed portions having depending flanges secured to the opposite side of said cross member.

10. In a vehicle body, a sill member having depending flanges at the inner and outer longitudinal edges thereof, a portion of the inner flange being sheared and bent laterally to form a lateral flange, and a cross bar extending through the opening formed by shearing the depending flange and secured to the lateral flange aforesaid said cross bar terminating at the outer flange and having a flange secured to said outer flange.

11. In a vehicle body, the combination with a sill member having a depressed portion for receiving floor boards adjacent the forward end thereof, of a reinforcing cross bar having a horizontal flange at one edge therof, and a flange depending from the depressed portion of the sill member and having a horizontal flange secured directly to the horizontal flange of the cross bar.

12. In a vehicle body, a sill member having a depending flange and a depressed portion for receiving floor boards, said depressed portion having a depending flange terminating in a horizontal flange, and an inverted channelshaped cross bar having a horizontal flange secured to the horizontal flange aforesaid and having a vertical flange secured to the depending flange of said sill member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM MARSHALL. 

